Last Friday night the Emery High Spartan football team closed out the region season with a close 21-13 loss to the region champions Juan Diego. Juan Diego came into the game as a heavy favorite to easily defeat the host Emery team but the Spartans made the game interesting right to the end.
Juan Diego was 4-0 in 3-A North action this season and 9-1 overall with just a loss to 4-A’s Murray High blemishing their record. Emery scored first in the game on a five-yard screen play from quarterback Zach Jorgensen to fullback Ashton Dieli with 1:57 left in the first period and Dieli kicked the extra point and Emery led 7-0. In the second quarter, Juan Diego scored twice and the two teams went to the locker room with the Soaring Eagles leading 13-7. Juan Diego had 142 yards of offense in the first half and the Spartans countered with 130 yards.
Emery received the second half kickoff and marched from their 20 yard line down to the Juan Diego 29-yard line before the 13 play drive stalled and the Spartans turned the ball over on downs. Juan Diego scored on their first drive of the second half to put themselves up 21-7.
The two teams traded interceptions on the next four possessions as the two teams threw the ball into the wrong hands in four of the next 11 plays. For Emery, the interceptions were made by Easton Gordon and by Bryce Dugmore. Emery’s interceptions were thrown by Jorgensen and Austin Allred, with Allred’s coming on a half back pass.
Emery’s final drive of the game was a 14-play drive that culminated with a pass from Jorgensen to Allred for a 20-yard pickup and a touchdown. In that final drive, Jorgenson also completed a 20-yard pass to Dugmore and Dugmore gained another 15 yards on a run. Allred also caught a second pass in that drive that covered 15 yards.
On defense, besides the two interceptions, Emery also came up with a fumble recovery by Triston Tuttle in the first quarter as the Spartans had three takeaways. Allred led the team in tackles with 10 and Koby Butler, Logan Cox and Tuttle all had 6 tackles in the game. Gordon had 5 tackles and Chase Jewkes and Dugmore each had 4 tackles in the game.
Kolton Butler did not play due to an illness and Logan Labrum left the game with a knee injury, both are two-way starters for the Spartans.
Emery will play the 3-A South region winner in the first round of the 3-A Utah State football playoffs and that team is North Sanpete. That game will be played Friday at 5 p.m. and will be played at Mt. Pleasant.
Emery football advances to state Friday at 5 p.m.
"Seniors recognized at last home game: Mitch Richarz, Taigon Pulli, Jaxon Winn, Bryce Dugmore, Austin Allred, Tristan Tuttle, Kyson Stilson, Will Smith, TJ Lacock."